TO DO

To Do:

• rake the leaves
• finally pull the enormous corn stalks out of the garden and finish winterizing it
• drool endlessly over husband's new phone
• rake more leaves. Oh boy we have lots of leaves.
• make caramel apples with Gracie. She has reminded me that I promised to do this a month ago
• swoon over my little girl who voluntary cleans her room and organizes her sock basket
• secretly steal my husband's new phone when he's in another room
• catch up on filing, sorting, organizing
• quit complaining and feeling sorry for myself
• compliment my son when he makes great choices
• celebrate my blessings!
• get my tail back in gear on my weight loss plan....slacker!
• got those leaves raked yet?
• snuggle with my husband
• insult my brother-in-law
• hug my kids
• clean up the HUGE mess in the basement
• return a million phone calls
• get off the computer and get ready for work!

Home

I'm home. Oh, and so, so tired. Trying to adjust back into the swing of things. My trip was amazing, fantastic, remarkable. Can't wait for next time! For now, I'm focusing on settling back into the family and work routine. Looking forward to sharing some pictures and stories of my trip...soon!

Virginia bound

Eeek...it's been awhile. It's also been a whirlwind month or so. Work has been busy, I've had my Mom in the hospital....and then throw in our regular hectic life and well, you can imagine. There's been a certain eight NINE year old's birthday sleepover, another birthday party with family, Halloween and so on. However, there's no time for all that stuff now (although I WILL eventually get the blog caught up with pictures!), because tomorrow morning I fly out for Virginia!

Since I've been so busy trying to wrap up every possible loose end for the past week, such as:

• making sure bills are paid
• picking up prescriptions
• organizing the kids' school stuff for the coming week
• leaving multiple obsessive notes for my husband about pretty much everything
• returning almost-overdue library books
• schooling myself on the new rules of airline travel (it's been TEN years!)
• trying to squeeze in a haircut (NOT gonna happen)
• tracking down ipods, chargers, etc. (am I the only one that has a million of these piled sky high?)
• attempting to print out boarding passes and itineraries, only to discover the printer is out of ink
• worrying about how my Mom will do for the week
• getting audited at work (GREAT timing)
• putting on a taco feed for my co-workers
• not letting myself slack off at the gym

Oh, I could keep going...but I always feel like I'm whining so I won't.

My point is, I've been so busy going, going, going that I haven't had the time to think about the fact that I will be away from my family for 5 days. This is big. The kids spent a week with my Dad at the cabin last summer, but that was different since Paco and I were home together. This time....I'll be on my own without my "people" as I like to call them. Of course, I will be with some of my other favorite people....Kelly and my brand-spanking new brother in law, Brian! Yep, my sis is an old married gal now. Also, my "Mom" Sandy is meeting me there too, so it will be quite a fun week!

A few things on our agenda:

• helping Kelly out in her new yoga studio, Bend
• going with Kelly to a Bikram yoga class (think: yoga in a room heated to 105 degrees)
• hopefully a day trip to Washington, D.C!! WOOT!
• plenty of time to banter with Brian, my FAVORITE brother, and drink wine with my "mom" and sis.

I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who surprised me with this trip!!